Devils
by Aiddon Raziel Valentine
Summary: Some are born, many are made. Done in conjunction with Trayne's Between Angels and Insects
1. 0

0: The Devil He Met

Midnight cast itself over the manor as it always did. The torches in the courtyard illuminated the expanse and the faint glimmer from the crescent moon above gave way to a typical night-time scene. The courtyard was empty, save for two figures next to one of the ponds.

The one closest to it was a figure with platinum hair of impressive length, holding a fishing pole; clad mostly in black and off-set by a silver coat, topped with a black wide-brimmed hat. Because of the figure's unusually slender form, it was quite hard to tell if it was man or woman. The other figure was quite obviously a man, his build and above-average height being the most obvious signs. Clad in black over white, the man's most distinct features were his nearly waist-length, braided crimson hair and his strange violet eye, the left being covered by a black eye-patch.

"Yeesh, this is so boring," the crimson-haired man commented. "Can't they hurry up and get here already?"

"Give it a rest, will ya?" Apparently the slender figure holding the fishing pole was a man, as the masculine octave was something no woman was capable of. "You've been whinin' ever since that fatass lord told us what to do."

The crimson-haired man just smirked at the silver-haired man as if he expected that exact response. The slender man grunted, bringing his line up to see that there was nothing on it.

"Damn it, why ain't anything bitin'?"

"Careful Mura, our client isn't gonna be happy if ya snag one of his fish."

"He can kiss my ass."

Mura once again cast his line out, the splashing of the water as the bobber interrupted the surface being pretty much the only sound around. Unusually slender, effeminate fingers with long, finely manicured nails atop leather-glove-bound hands gripped the fishing pole. The man sighed; though his features were shadowed by his hat he was obviously quite bored and irritated at the long wait of his job.

Both men had been hired for the bodyguard duty of some noble or another, who was being targeted for assassination due to illegal activities. In all honesty, the silver-haired man didn't exactly like doing work like this, though it was better than starving due to pride. Plus, when he heard who was targeting the lord…

His crimson-haired partner suddenly perked up, his head suddenly jerking towards the gates of the manor. His single eye narrowed and a smirk slowly etched itself upon his lips.

"So, those lazy morons finally coming, Iga?" Mura asked the crimson-haired man.

"Yeah, any longer and I'd've gone after them." Iga eagerly cracked his knuckles "So, who's turn is it this time?"

"Yours, last time I did all the work."

"Alrighty, catch ya when this is done," said Iga with a wave as he sprinted towards the corridors.

Mura went back to his fishing, brushing his long hair out of his face as he did so. His expression didn't change, nor did his current mood. In all honesty there was very little on his mind, except for one thing: that the shinobi coming soon would not succeed in their mission.

XXXXX

Outside of the manor, swift and shadowy figures made their way across the dim, quiet streets. Though their forms were hard to discern, only a certain kind of people could move in this manner: shinobi. With unheard steps and unseen forms, they skittered along the streets, not even fragments of sounds being heard as they went along.

The small squad stopped as one up front, a smaller figure with long black hair, gave a hand signal to halt momentarily. Scanning for but a few moments, the front figure did several small motions with their fingers, signaling several others to jump over the walls of the manor. Like ephemeral shadows, three shinobi had already gone inside the walls as if they had heard the front figure's thoughts.

The front figure signaled again, their arm whipping to the left, causing three other shinobi to run along the roofs of the houses outside and into the manor. With a final motion the front figure pointed straight ahead, the last two heading for the courtyard. In less than a minute, the figure that had been giving orders was now alone atop a house, and the only thing giving its existence away being the white armor worn over a shinobi uniform; a clear sign of those known as the ANBU.

XXXXX

Iga sighed as he waited once again inside the halls of the manor, bored that his catch still hadn't shown up despite the fact that they had just arrived. He never could expect much from self-proclaimed shinobi. The red-head just looked wherever, hoping he'd catch a glimpse of his current enemies.

It was then that fingers as silent as the night itself crept towards the young man's throat. Ready to muffle his voice and slit his throat, they ever so quietly inched over Iga's face.

However, the owner of the hands wasn't quite expecting to be grabbed by his right arm and then thrown across the hallway by the very man he was going to silence. Crashing over hard wood, the ANBU came to a stop just before he hit the wall.

"Yeesh." Iga was strangely relaxed. "Can't you guys even try to do a decent fight? I mean, c'mon, I'm so used to being snuck up on that throwing you bastards has because a goddamned reflex."

The ANBU was dismayed at suddenly being tossed by some mercenary like this red-headed bastard. Shaking his head, the masked shinobi got up, crouching into an attack position with his hand going to his sword. Iga however looked a bit bored, running his left hand through his shaggy, crimson hair.

"Tch, oh well, I ain't got anythin' better to do. Besides, that bishi Mura's gonna get pissed if our cash flow bites it."

Iga stepped forward slowly as silver flashed behind him from the dark.

XXXXX

Mura glanced at the halls to his side, the sounds of battle reaching his ears as he attempted to fish. He sighed, going back to his fishing as the battle raged on inside the manor whilst he sat out in the courtyard. Aside from Iga having to deal with ANBU, it was a peaceful night for Mura. Now, if only the fish in the ponds could have his definition of peaceful it would be an even better night.

"Well, this is the first I've heard of you being here."

Mura looked over his shoulder, slightly annoyed at having to turn around to see the person bothering him. He just looked dully, seeing another ANBU on the grass, this one's defining features being his small size and his long hair tied into a low ponytail.

"Tch, just as I'm about to relax a friggin' kid tries to bother me." His annoyance growing, Mura merely turned back to the pond to fish.

"It's Muramasa, right? Hodaishi Muramasa, the one they call the Beautiful Silver Slayer."

"…What about it?" This time he didn't even flatter the ANBU with a glance.

"Normally I'd chat with you a bit, but unfortunately you're under my target's employ."

"Save me the trouble of kicking your ass and fly away, forest boy."

"I decline."

Most people wouldn't have been able to see what happened within that split second. The ANBU had instantly charged forward, blade swiftly drawing out as he did so. However, what he hit wasn't the androgynous male sitting by the pond, but thin air. No matter how fast the ANBU had moved, Muramasa had moved even faster.

Suddenly a small, cracking sound rang out over the courtyard and a crooked line drew itself down the ANBU's mask. The mask split in two, both halves falling on the grass, which left the man's face fully exposed. The ANBU was a bit shocked, though his surprise was merely visual and not vocal, wondering how his mask could have cracked and yet no mark appear on his face.

"Tch, just as I figured, yer a damn kid."

The young ANBU turned around, seeing Muramasa sitting rather calmly on a sizable rock with a long, thin tobacco pipe in his hand.

"_Where is his fishing pole?"_ thought the ANBU.

"God, why do I always meet up with either weirdoes or people wanting to kick my ass?"

Did Muramasa break his mask with just that pipe? No, impossible, a crack that clean wouldn't have happened with a blunt instrument. Shaking his head, the ANBU just went into a stance and his eyes turned from a solemn black, to a blazing crimson with three tomoe within their irises. However, the aloof Muramasa was unaware, rummaging in his pockets for something.

"Damn it, don't tell me I dropped it when I smacked that brat..."

The ANBU had grown tired of the man's lack of concern over someone pointing a blade at him. With all the power he could muster in his legs, the ANBU lunged forward, his sword ready to slice Muramasa's throat wide open. However, what the young ANBU got instead was what appeared to be the high-heel of one of Muramasa's boots straight in his face. That blow knocked the ANBU back to his previous spot, just short of his head hitting the pond.

"Ah, found it." Muramasa casually took out a pouch, retrieving some tobacco from it to put into his pipe.

The ANBU got back up, regaining what composure he had left and attempted to strike Muramasa with his blade. All he got was another dodge as the older man found his matches and lit the tobacco in his pipe.

"Alright, now I'm ready." Muramasa actually faced the ANBU now, not looking very concerned or worried.

"Rather arrogant, aren't you?"

Muramasa didn't answer the question, instead just walking nonchalantly towards the young ANBU. He inspired another charge from the teenager, though he merely turned on his heel with an unusually fluid motion, now back to back with the ninja. Before the latter could figure out what had happened, he got a tap from the former on his head.

"Kid, loosen up a bit, yer stiff as a board." Muramasa always did hate seeing bad swordsmanship, though his remark got him a circular sweep, but the blow missed him by about an inch "Plus yer as easy t' read as a comic book."

Muramasa then noticed that the ANBU was doing a few quick gestures with his hands. The next thing he noticed, there was a huge fireball coming towards him, ready to swallow him in the inferno.

The ANBU just looked as the flames hit Muramasa square-on, engulfing the man in the blaze. He just snorted in disgust, thinking that someone of a pedigree like that sword-for-hire would at least have the common sense to dodge a giant ball of fire. Sheathing his blade, the ANBU turned and went back to his previous objective. Well, until he heard an intake of breath…and the fact that the heat from the fire had vanished very, very quickly.

"Well, 'least you magicians are good for a light; my pipe was nearly out."

The ANBU's eyes widened, not especially huge but just enough to be noticeable, at the sound of those words. He turned around slowly, his eyes meeting with the impossible site of Muramasa still standing there, his pipe still in hand. What was even more impossible was the fact that neither his clothes nor his hair were a bit singed, plus the grass around him was barely steaming, let alone scorched. Muramasa just stood, smoking while the ANBU just looked at him, astonished.

"You…" the ANBU began after his initial speechlessness "first my Sharingan cannot read you, now fire cannot burn you?"

"Sharingan?"

"Well ain't this interesting."

Both Muramasa and the ANBU snapped their head towards a door at the voice, seeing Iga step out from the hallway, his hair a bit mussed and what appeared to be gauntlets on his hands. He brushed his messy bangs away from his face, showing that his gauntlets had claws ending the fingertips of the brutish armor.

"I heard about a new ANBU captain recently, one that had some rather interesting eyes," Iga said casually to Muramasa as he stepped forward.

"Oh… Now I remember; those uninspired idiots," Muramasa responded after a pull, smoke billowing from between his teeth.

The ANBU tensed up, none too interested in having to deal with two men such as Muramasa and Iga. Regaining what little composure he had, the ANBU got on his feet and readied the blade he had, getting an amused smirk from Iga.

"Man, you obviously ain't too smart, kid," Iga said as he began to take his gauntlets off.

"What do you mean?"

"If I'm out here, then where are your little buddies?"

"Iga, you better not've made a mess of things in there." Muramasa pointed his pipe at Iga.

"C'mon, how can you not expect a bit of messiness from the Tetsu-ori?"

While Iga and Muramasa had their little conversation, the ANBU they were ignoring seemed to have come to the realization that his entire squad had been wiped out by Iga alone. Of course he had heard stories of these mercenaries before, but he didn't think taking down a few seasoned veterans was something that could be so easily achieved by anyone.

"You…" The ANBU finally got the mercenaries' attention. "What are you two?"

The two men looked towards the ANBU, violet and silver orbs accented by the light in the courtyard. However, the one the ANBU was looking at was Muramasa. Smoke rose slowly from his pipe, giving his eyes more of a menacing appearance.

"Kid, you don't wanna know, believe me."

Muramasa breathed out again, smoke shooting out in a thin stream from his mouth. His eyes then darted to his right, seeing an ANBU with his mask partially cracked step out from the hall Iga had been in.

"Iga, you friggin' suck." Iga casually shrugged at the effeminate man's comment.

"Commander, the entire squad is out of commission!"

"I know," the unmasked ANBU answered, more than annoyed.

Muramasa just looked bored, continuing to smoke his pipe, giving the ANBU a look that said "just get going". Irritated, the commander merely gave his subordinate a quick signal, making their cue to leave. In a flash, both ANBU vanished from the grounds of the manor, leaving the two mercenaries behind. Muramasa merely looked as his pipe which had run out of tobacco. Sighing, he knocked the ash from the bowl by knocking it against his heel.

"God, I should've expected them not to last even one bowl, let alone two." he said irately as he put the pipe into his inner coat pocket.

"What else do you expect? People of this generation are just a bunch of sissies prancing around their friggin' magic tricks and illusions. It's not like back in the old days where people were basically fighting tooth and nail."

"…Yeah, it pisses me off."

XXXXX

Author's Notes: Well, never thought I'd be coming back to Naruto after more than two years of not wanting to write anything about it. Anyway, you'll notice that this revolves heavily around my two OC characters Muramasa and Iga. This is really just going to be an introductory fic for my OCs and an observing ground for Trayne who will be taking care of an equally large chunk of the project. Hopefully the next few chapters are a lot smoother than this one was (damn you PS2!).


	2. 1

1: Youko

Iga lied back on the bed of the wagon he was on. Having done most of the work at the last job, it was Muramasa's job to handle the horses as they went back home. Iga would've fallen asleep hours ago, but the fact that Muramasa was very angry because of their low pay generated a very intense aura. As such, Iga was afraid when he woke up that he'd be in the middle of some random slaughter.

"God, that fatass lord decides COMPLETELY on 'is own t' friggin' cut our pay by a third?" Muramasa growled around the metal mouthpiece of his pipe.

"Well, I don't think you punching him helped things a whole lot either, Mura."

"'Ey, how th' hell can people not expect a little blood when there's fighting involved? I swear people in these days are a buncha spoiled brats."

"You would know."

Iga sighed, sitting up since there was no way he would be able to sleep with Mura's ire at their former employer. The red-head leaned over the seat, folding his arms as he did so.

"This is pretty crappy; I'd say you're at least at powerful as an ANBU as you are now, plus we trump ninja in combat."

"Yer forgetting somethin' though." Mura looked out of the corner of his eye at his partner

"Whazzat?"

"We also scare them crapless, so none o' them wanna hire us, plus mercs ain't exactly thought of as nice as ninja."

"I suppose." Iga smirked while closing his eye.

Muramasa looked at his pipe, seeing the bowl was empty. Sighing in an annoyed manner, he slipped the thing into his inner coat pocket as he didn't want to let his hands off the reins. He just looked ahead, seeing road for some miles.

"Mura." Iga said, his eye still closed.

"What? I'm telling you the forest ain't that far ahead."

"Nah, it isn't that; I was just thinking…"

"So help me if you're going to go on some self-reflective monologue…" Muramasa mumbled under his breath.

Iga opened his eye, a cloud having drifted across the sun as he did so.

"What exactly are we to do in a world like this, a world where we're not really thought of as anything but tools?"

Muramasa, in his infinite wisdom, did the smartest thing he could:

"Yer too friggin' young to think about stuff like that; come back in another twenty years before you start going off on something so philosophical."

Iga just smirked, trying to mask his snort at Muramasa's utterly simple answers to everything. He merely rolled onto his side as Muramasa continued with "Instead of wasting energy thinking, you best save it for when we get back 'cuz you're stabling the damn horses."

XXXXX

A mercenary having a home was often considered something out of the ordinary. Usually they traveled from one strained place to the next, going to wherever had trouble thus having a central location was detrimental to work. Also if one had a rather high notoriety it would be easier to find them.

However, despite what most considered common sense, Muramasa and Iga did indeed have a home. It was nothing especially fancy; not much more than a two-story traditional home complete with shouji. Most would think it was a bit crazy for a merc to have had such a thing in the middle of a forest. Muramasa's aloofness, however, could care less.

It was getting late in the afternoon, the slightly dull hues of coming twilight making it evident. Muramasa just drove the wagon as he had before, Iga having fallen asleep a few hours ago with his snoring making a constant drone in what would have been an otherwise quiet forest. Giving a rather dull look to his compatriot, Muramasa tugged on the reins, causing the horses to stop along with the wagon they were driving.

"Hgufafurfalurf?" Iga mumbled, his eye opening as the sudden stop had roused him.

"Wake up and stable the horses, dumbass. I'll be out in a few minutes to get the rice and stuff."

"Yes'm sir." Iga responded half-heartedly in a bit of a slurred manner.

Muramasa stepped down from the wagon, letting his yet-to-fully-awaken partner do the rest. The silver-haired man strolled slowly across the grass to the house, the sound of Iga's mumbling in his ears. Muramasa slid open the door, stepping through the threshold into the house. He tossed his hat onto a hanger then looked in the entrance hall.

"Youko?"

Clearly a call, though the effeminate man heard no answer. Shedding his gloves, hat, and coat, Muramasa stepped into the hallway though without removing his boots (however the indentation on the mats obviously showed that he didn't remove his boots too often in his own home). He strolled into the living room, his head peeking around the corner.

"Oi, Youko."

Still no answer, though Muramasa did find what he was looking for. Lying on the couch on their side was another thing mercs did not too often have due to their profession. On the couch lay a woman dressed in what was best-described as an odd cross between a dress and a sort of one-layer kimono complete with a modified obi, the entirety of her clothes being of varying dark colors. A necklace with a crystal pendant was wrapped around her neck.

She was a beauty to say the least, her skin white as ivory and her long, neatly trimmed hair a lustrous onyx. Her features were elegant, with her thin limbs and sharp, mature features evident upon her face. Muramasa just frowned at how she could be so carefree. He walked over to the couch, looming over the woman's prone form.

"Youko." he said, poking the woman gently in the shoulder, though to no avail.

Muramasa just looked, not the least amused. Again he poked, though harder but still to no avail. His eye twitching, he gave her a sharp (though not hard) nudge to her chest, which roused her.

"Mmm, those are rather sensitive you know." as expected, her voice was also that one would expect of an older woman.

"Hey, you're the one who doesn't wake up easy."

"I suppose not, my dear Muramasa."

Youko stretched, shaking the tiredness from her limbs and opening her eyes, revealing tan orbs. She tossed a strand of her hair over her shoulder and stood, revealing her full height as slightly above average, though dwarfed quite a bit by Muramasa, who stood nearly two meters tall even without his boots.

"However…" Youko said.

"Hm?" she grabbed Muramasa's black shirt and pulled him down, his lips meeting hers.

"Wake me up like that next time, alright?"

"…I'll think about it."

Youko chuckled, a sly grin appearing across her pale lips. She didn't expect anything else from Muramasa, having gotten quite used to his quirks over the years. She ushered herself to the kitchen, quick to think that her beloved and Iga would both be hungry after the long journey.

"So, how was the job?" she asked as she rummaged in the cupboard for ingredients.

"Tch, same as always; we get stuck lookin' after some idiot an' even after we get the job done the bastard goes and doesn't pay us the whole amount."

"As he conveniently leaves out the part where he punched the employer so hard his topknot came undone." Iga just walked into the room, carrying two bags of rice. His comment, however, earned him a severe glare from Muramasa.

"Ah, Iga-san, bring that in will you." Youko called from the kitchen.

Iga more than obliged to help Youko, finding it far more appealing than dealing with an angry Muramasa. Muramasa sat down in the living room, finally relieving his feet of his boots and stretching his long legs while he sat on the couch.

"So, your temper got the best of you." Youko called to Muramasa.

"Yeah, so?" Muramasa responded as he was retrieving his pipe from his pants pocket.

"I swear, keep it up enough and people will look for thugs instead of you for jobs."

"Tch, even before that people ain't exactly willing ta hire guys like me mostly 'cuz those goddamned ninja villages have better service than mercs most o' the time." Muramasa growled as he lit his pipe.

"Though they always go to you if there's some sort of dealing with the villages. Iga, could you watch the rice?"

"No problem."

The sounds of cooking were emitting from the kitchen now, Iga blowing the fire for the rice while Youko seemed to be cutting some vegetables. Muramasa just crossed his legs and leaned deeper onto the couch, blowing smoke out of the corner of his mouth. It had been a long job so all he really wanted to do right now was forget about all the annoyances from the last job, including that masked brat he had to deal with a few days ago. Right now, he just wanted to forget.

XXXXX

Dinner was typical for the three of them. Muramasa was relaxed, Youko was proper, while Iga, who had downed a bottle of sake, was being a little too relaxed. Muramasa was mostly glad he finally had something beside his or Iga's cooking (he never trusted his crimson-haired partner to cook after the one incident where fish somehow came out purple) so he let Iga be loud, though he wanted to knock him out with the empty sake bottle. Afterwards, Iga went out onto the walkway, his shamisen in hand, as Muramasa and Youko were washing dishes in the kitchen.

"Here." Youko handed Muramasa a washed rice bowl to dry.

Muramasa scrubbed the porcelain bowl with the rag he held, something one wouldn't quite expect of your typical sword-for-hire. Muramasa set the bowl into a dish rack once it was properly dried.

"So, what's your next job going to be?" Youko handed over a tea cup.

"I dunno, I'm gonna be sure this time I don't actually deal with the ass in charge directly. Plus I'll try to make it a short one."

"I'm not so lonely that you should go for cheap pay." Muramasa glanced out of the corner of his eye at the smirking Youko "Or perhaps it is you who is lonely."

"He's so damn lonely he talks in his sleep about you!" Iga joked from outside.

"Only paper doors are between you and this, Iga." Muramasa brandished a chopstick menacingly.

"Now, now, I don't need to clean blood off any utensils." Youko set the chopstick down after yanking it from Muramasa's hand.

Youko took off the apron she had previously been wearing and set it into a drawer. She adjusted her hair, having had it in a ponytail until just a minute ago. She looked at Muramasa who was drying his shirt off with a towel.

"So…"Youko said as she lay down on the couch.

"Hm?"

"When are going for your next job?"

"Tch, looking to get rid of me fast or something?"

"Depending on how long it'll be, I might have to make the most of it."

"Great, are you two going to keep me up again?" Iga said from the walkway as he played his shamisen.

Muramasa just brushed off Iga's smartass comments and lay on the floor, his back resting on the couch.

"I say it'll take at least a week for my contacts; jobs these days are harder to come by."

"Well then," Youko rested her head on Muramasa's shoulder whilst "looks like I can take my time."

To that Iga played an upbeat tune.


	3. 2

2: Once Again

Several seasons passed by, none of them too interesting to recount. Muramasa and Iga merely did their jobs and would go back home. None of their jobs had been too intriguing for the past few years, though when a mercenary was as seasoned as either one of them it wasn't hard to become jaded with jobs to the point of monotony.

Two years passed by like that, with no sort of event that Muramasa would think odd. It wasn't until the fall that something unusual happened.

"Hey, Mura, remember when we met?" Iga asked suddenly.

Muramasa, who had been smoking, just looked quizzically at the redhead who was leaning against a tree. The two of them had been asked to escort some goods across rather harsh borders. They weren't the only two on the job, but judging by the other swords-for-hire they would be the ones carrying the most weight.

Muramasa hissed smoke out in a thin stream, answering Iga's question.

"Why the hell're you askin' me that? You've been gettin' a bit too reflective fer someone yer age." Muramasa elicited a chuckle from Iga.

"I dunno, guess autumn makes me think of when we first met."

"Tch, you should also remember you would've been drownin' in a pool o' yer own blood if I hadn'ta saved yer sorry ass."

"Ah, so you do remember."

Muramasa glanced at Iga who flipped his long braid over his shoulder. Silver met violet for a moment and then broke as Muramasa saw that his pipe had become empty. Knowing that their break would be ending soon, the silver-haired man put the pipe into his inner coat pocket. Muramasa stood, stretching his long legs before looking at his partner.

"Four years ago, October 21st." he said to Iga.

"Eh?"

"When I dragged your ass to get patched up by Youko."

"Oh yeah." Iga chuckled, finding it ironic that Muramasa had to remind him "I was seventeen, I saw you the night before a big fight between some lord and an ANBU squad from the Earth Country."

"Yeah, the idiot got himself and all of the mercs slaughtered and I found you half-dead next to an ANBU corpse."

"Hey, get'cher asses moving, slackers!" the man in charge, a rather gruff fellow with a thick goatee, was obviously annoyed with the younger pair talking when their break was almost over.

Muramasa just sighed in annoyance at the man's quick temper. He and Iga got to their horses, Iga taking the reins of a stunning chestnut colored one while Muramasa was atop a stallion of solid gray. The pair was off side by side as the wagons began moving, their horses quickly taking to the front of the small caravan.

"How long was I at your place anyway?" Iga took to the head a bit faster

"About a month, yer lucky ya didn't get'cher ass impaled. Youko said so much as a centimeter the wrong way and you'd've been feedin' worms within the day."

"Yeah, you weren't too keen on baby-sitting either."

"Yer damn right."

The two had been getting a few glares from the other bodyguards on the job, though they didn't care, it wasn't every day that two young men (one of which could pass as a very tall woman) would show up among a grizzled, scarred crowd. Iga remembered things were a lot like that the first time he met Mura. He wasn't even really an adult, just some snot-nosed kid that didn't fit in amongst a gang of men who looked like they slept on rocks most nights.

"Yer lookin' a bit funny Iga." Mura glanced out of the corner of his left eye "Ya mind spillin' the beans?"

"Just me and my memoirs." Iga closed his eye in thought "Yeah, I saw you that day; you pissed off the lord's head guard, some big bastard named Jinnosuke or something. You said his plan was half-assed and he decided you need a proper scolding."

"Jinnosuke…." Muramasa was horrible with names, faces, and most anything else regarding others "doesn't ring a bell."

"Figures," Iga stifled a chuckle "he showed off some fancy swings with that slab of metal he claimed was a hammer while you were smoking. Next thing I know, he's on the floor gasping for air."

"Oh yeah, I kicked him in the balls."

"….THAT was it?" Iga was flabbergasted "I though you pulled some fancy pressure-point move or something."

"Pffft, I ain't an acupuncturist."

The next couple hours were uneventful, little more than the caravan traveling at a steady pace with guards goofing off or talking. Iga had been talky all day, going on about everything he had seen with Muramasa. The silver-haired man stopped him when Iga mentioned how Muramasa would pass out and wake up with the king of all hangovers whenever he even had a small amount of sake. At that point Iga's reminiscent mood had started testing Muramasa's nerves.

The sun had started to set then, prompting the caravan to stop for the night and set camp. The majority of the guards gathered around a huge fire, drinking and stuffing themselves like it was a party. Muramasa and Iga on the other hand were sitting on opposite sides of a far smaller fire, their horses nearby. They had already ate, discarded fish bones and crumbs of dried meat on the ground. Muramasa was smoking his pipe as usual while Iga was sitting against a tree and playing his shamisen, his eye closed as he did so. It was then that Muramasa asked him something.

"Why exactly did you decide ta follow me?"

The slow melody Iga had been playing on the shamisen stopped, his eye opening and looking at Muramasa's red-tinged, silver orbs.

"I owe you, and not just once either." he set the shamisen down and began counting with his fingers "There was the time we were surprised by thieves and I got a spear through me, the time we had to deal with explosives and rock shrapnel was shot into my leg, and then when I tried to take on a practical garrison of Mist Shinobi and nearly got turned into an urchin."

"That was a very weird string of coincidental jobs."

"Look I just…" Iga's hand went to his face, his palm covering his eye patch "I owed you so many times and not once did I repay them. Hell, I still haven't."

"Seriously, you couldn't imagine the looks me and Youko gave ya when you practically stalked me and got on yer knees sayin' stuff like "I'm free for you to use". You have any friggin' clue how wrong that sounded?"

"Well that's what I thought. You're free to use my life as you see fit until I think I've repaid you."

Muramasa just looked at his now-empty pipe and then to Iga, the look on his face being deadly-serious. Sighing, Muramasa laid his head down on a rolled up sleeping bag and covered his face with his hat.

"Iga." he said beneath his hat.

"What?"

"Get some friggin' sleep, we got work to do tomorrow."

Iga smirked, taking his friend's advice and sleeping before people started complaining.

XXXXX

The next day was…eventful, to say the least. After several hours of monotonous trekking across the roads, the group came upon the manor that was their destination. However, things weren't quite right. Muramasa thought something was wrong after they were approaching and didn't hear much. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw that the two men who were supposed to be watching the gate were face-first in the dirt. Muramasa just calmly stayed on his horse while the other mercs were trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

"What the 'ell did this?" the head of the caravan noticed that the guards were in fact dead, but didn't have a scratch on them. Instead, it seemed like they died of fright, the expressions of terror on their faces evident of some sort of shock.

"Shit, we finally get all the way 'ere and suddenly some goddanged fellers kill our paycheck." not surprisingly, most of the mercs were more pissed at having lost their pay.

"I say we go in and raid the damn place." and of course some were willing to just become thieves. Well, that was until Muramasa piped up.

"Someone's still in there, genius." that of course caused all the mercs to go silent for a bit before arguing amongst themselves about who wanted to prove their bravery. After about ten minutes, it seemed no one was willing to go inside.

"Not exactly the sort with spines, are they Mura?" Iga smirked at the bickering mercs.

Muramasa instantly tired of mercs whose bark was all they had. The silver-haired man dismounted from his horse and started walking over to the gate, grabbing a random merc's sword from its sheath. In one swift motion, Muramasa stuck the dull blade in the gap between the doors of the gate and sliced upward. Metal was heard cleaving through wood, obviously the bar that was keeping the gate closed.

"You comin' along, ya one-eyed bastard?" Muramasa chucked the sword over his shoulder, not really paying heed that it landed mere inches away from its owner.

"You bet'cha."

Iga followed after his partner, Muramasa's figure unusually tense. While the other mercs were shouting warnings and words of doom, Iga was scanning the grounds, seeing body after body felled by unknown methods. Like the ones outside, these also had no marks and instead looked as though they had died out of fear. However…the number of them killed was the more concerning thing.

"Whaddya think?" Muramasa asked without turning around.

"I almost wanna say ninjas did this, but…"

"Too many people have been killed. There ain't a single guard left and ninjas usually only kill the minimum amount of targets which are at most a handful."

"Crap," Iga ruffled his hair out of anxiety "genjutsu can kill with madness or fear if it's powerful enough, but that's not something your everyday shinobi or ANBU does."

"I better not hafta deal with psychos." Muramasa popped his neck.

The two of them decided to split up, Iga taking the first floor while Muramasa investigated the second. Muramasa was just up the stairs when he felt a presence, almost undetectable amongst the aura of death hovering over the mansion. The best way to describe it was…honest. A blunt, nigh on intentionally detectable presence. The only reason Muramasa had nearly missed it was because it was so similar to the current scene, one of death.

His hand going to the inside of his coat, Muramasa strode forward as quietly as he could, though it wasn't exactly easy to be silent whilst wearing boots on hard-wood floors. He slid forward, making his steps as light as possible as not to warn his prey. Muramasa took the hallway a foot at a time, ever-inching towards the source of the presence. He heard voices, though they came as little more than mumbling. Muramasa was about to the door when things came crashing down.

"Hey, Mura, I didn't find anything!"

Oh, god…DAMN it. At the moment of Iga's report, Muramasa rolled back down the hallway as something ripped through the fragile paper doors that he had been standing in front of just a second ago. His hand left quickly going to his coat pocket, Muramasa's right threw his hat backward which Iga had to dodge as he fitted his claws onto his hands.

"Tch, seems we got sloppy."

A large man stepped forward from the ripped door, Muramasa taking note of what appeared to be a large, thick sword on the man's shoulder. His eyes narrowing, Muramasa's legs were ready to spring at his target. Iga was thinking the same with his claws at ready.

"Kisame." Well, that was a familiar voice, though Muramasa for the life of him couldn't remember it as always "Our objective is complete, so I doubt fighting people who weren't in the mansion beforehand will do any good."

A smaller younger man stepped forward. No, man wasn't the right word he couldn't even be eighteen yet. Under a straw hat Muramasa could definitely make out sharp, blood-red eyes that pierced like a knife.

"Oh great, I hate it when we have second meetings." Iga was very annoyed by eyes he had seen more than once.

Both men took off their hats, while Iga gave back Muramasa's. Any sense of danger had immediately dissipated, despite the fact that just a moment ago Muramasa was ready to kill. Both parties stared at each other, neither one moving from their current position.

Muramasa sized them up, seeing that the pair wore identical outfits, though their foreheads had shinobi headbands from different villages. Curiously, both of them had a slash carved into their insignia, though Muramasa could tell one was from Konohagakure and the other from Kirigakure. The older man was as tall as Muramasa, his distinguishing features being his quite literally shark-like face. The other man was, at best, a bit unimpressive. Of average height at best and thin build, he wasn't very intimidating at all. However, that's until Muramasa noticed his eyes, those intense, blood-red eyes.

After about a minute of silence, the man with the strange eyes spoke.

"It's been awhile, Hodaishi."

"? Who the hell are you?"

Surprisingly, all the red-eyed man did was smirk at Muramasa's forgetfulness. Iga just rolled his eyes.

"You planted your foot in his face." the redhead commented while putting away his claws.

"Pfft, it's not like I'm gonna remember every ass I hadta kick."

"Quite rude for a man to forget, eh, Itachi?" the shark-like man finally spoke up, putting his long-sword on his back as he did so.

"Look, I could give a shit less about friggin' memoirs," Muramasa's patience was growing short "You two obviously offed my paycheck so if you don't give me a good reason why I shouldn't a rusty sword up yer ass then you better get ready for a royal ass-kicking."

The younger man, Itachi, just waved for his partner to put his sword back as he was already drawing it at Muramasa's annoyed ultimatum.

"Your client just happened to be in direct conflict with our own." he explained "Yours happened to be a weapons dealer who had a bounty on his head from stealing shipments from others. As such, many people were not pleased with him."

"Tch, so business is your excuse? I happened to be dependent on him giving me the payment so you just killed the wrong guy." Muramasa was reaching inside his coat again, which prompted Itachi's partner to start drawing his sword.

"If that's the case, then take what you will."

"…Eh?"

"Our job is done since our target is dead, so take whatever you want from the mansion." Itachi was already on his way by the time he finished his sentence.

"Y'mind tellin' me when ninjas let witnesses live?" Muramasa raised his eyebrow.

"…You mean ninjas who haven't given up on those wretched things called "villages"."

Itachi vanished under the stairs, his partner following shortly after. Muramasa just frowned, a vein in his forehead rising in its usual, irritated fashion. Adjusting his hat, Muramasa walked into his former employer's office, Iga in tow.

XXXXX

"Why _didn't _you fight him, Itachi?"

The two of them had slipped out a window, neither of them very keen on having to deal with the other sell-swords outside the front gate of the manor. Itachi just kept walking, bringing his collar further up his face to ward off a cold breeze.

"Trust me, Kisame, if my eyes could make sense of that man, I would have done it."

"Oh?"

"…Back then I couldn't tell what he was going to do and just now my Sharingan didn't see anything. I knew he was there, but it felt like he wasn't."

"I don't understand." Kisame was obviously confused.

Itachi fiddled with his bangs. "I don't quite understand either, probably even less than you."

Kisame, putting his hat back on, looked to the mansion some distance back as he heard the sounds of pillaging from the mercenaries.

"If that is so, let's hope they never come under the pay of our enemies."

"Indeed, though I wouldn't mind facing Hodaishi once more."

XXXX

Muramasa and Iga had left shortly after coming out of the mansion. They told the other mercenaries that the killers were long gone and as such, the party went about stripping the mansion of its goods and distributing the goods amongst themselves. Muramasa road on his horse, not looking back and listening to Iga thumbing through the wad of bills they had grabbed from the office.

"We coulda grabbed more, y'know." Iga was a bit dissatisfied with only taking the amount they were supposed to be paid.

"I ain't a grave-robber, Iga. I did my job to deliver the wagons here so I ain't gonna take anything more than what I was entitled to."

"Pfft, says the guy who gets pissed every time he doesn't get paid in full." Iga would have said more, but Muramasa's signature glare shut him up.

Iga put the bills in his jacket's pocket, brushing his bangs from his face.

"That kid and that shark-guy…they're not normal."

"Nope, those two are the kinda people who ya don't wanna be on the opposing end of."

"Glad I don't work for ninjas then."

To that, Muramasa actually smirked.


	4. 3

3: Honor

3: Pride

A few years had passed once again in a flash, a few jobs and fights being but moments in Muramasa's memory. He'd heard rumors of course, mostly about the ninja world. Like how war seemed to be more apparent now with Konohagakure having fought off Sunagakure and some other village whose name he couldn't remember. Biggest of all was the death of the Hokage. Still though, Mura didn't exactly associate with that world too much, so it was of little concern to him.

Even Iga, who was younger than he, felt like everything had gone by too fast to show that the days had been more boring than they were used to. Well, at least until a day in early spring.

Muramasa was sitting on the walkway, his attire being nothing more than his black shirt and black pants. His feet were bare, tickled by the grass that had been buried by snow until a few weeks ago. He sat, smoke curling upward from his pipe as he thought about what Youko had talked about a few minutes ago. To say the least, it was something he wasn't prepared for.

"Damn it, I really didn't expect somethin' like this t' happen."

"I guess I shouldn't have told you then."

Muramasa jumped a bit, seeing Youko who wasn't wearing one of her elaborate kimonos for once. Instead she was clad in a plain pair of blue slacks and a white dress shirt left untucked. Muramasa took his pipe and quickly put it out, stuffing it into his pocket.

"Don't stop on my account, it's not like you haven't been doing that since I met you." Youko smirked as she sat, leaning against Muramasa.

"C'mon, it's not exactly courteous, y'know."

"You speaking of courtesy, now I've heard everything."

Muramasa glanced down at the woman against him, her ebony hair shining in the afternoon sun and her alabaster skin practically glowing. Her fingers were dancing on his hand, stroking his long fingers.

"Muramasa, did you ever think we'd be like this?" she nuzzled against his arm.

"I dunno, when I first came here I thought I'd just be travelin'. Never expected t' be limpin' around half-dead in some damn forest."

"You were so angry back in those days," Youko practically giggled at the thought "I still remember when you pinned me to the floor when you were in a particularly bad mood"

"…Yeah, it was one incredibly shitty experience."

"Well, excuse me for making you stop being a brat." Youko pouted.

Muramasa stood, walking on the lawn and looking at the trees which were just beginning to bud.

"What about you, did you ever think ya'd be stuck with an ass like me?" he looked over his shoulder at her.

"Better than my parents practically ordering me to whore myself to some snob nobleman." she hugged her legs, bringing them to her chest "I guess I had bad luck being the youngest of four girls."

"Try being the only child and the only son. I don't think I'll ever meet anyone who got nagged at as much as me."

Youko smirked behind her knees, thinking of Muramasa being bugged day in and day out. She herself had been subject to similar things, though she considered them far vulgar than her beloved's situation. In the end, she never really thought she'd meet someone who had a history as alike as her own.

Standing up, Youko stood alongside the platinum-haired man, his long mane being taken by a stray breeze and blowing with it. Muramasa just kept looking at the trees, as though in a trance.

"…'Wonder how that bastard Iga's gonna take this."

"Knowing him, he'll just shout "Banzai!" at the top of his lungs like he always does." Youko practically giggled "I swear that child is nothing but a basket of enthusiasm. Still remember when he was bowing before you like a warrior before his lord."

Muramasa rubbed the back of his neck, as though he was in discomfort. One person that hadn't been thinking about was Iga. He was a part of this, being that he and Muramasa had been partners for several years. As such, it was going to be as big to him as it was for Youko and Muramasa.

"Guess I better go tell him."

XXXXX

Despite Muramasa and Youko relative reclusion, Iga was quite well-known in the nearest town. He was somewhat notorious for going to the local bars and attracting crowds of women with his silver tongue and sharp wit. Because of it, he was thought of as a bit of an annoyance to men. With Iga having done a job some days ago, he was aon another of his escapades.

"Oh, Iga-san, are you really gonna buy drinks for all of us?"

"Damn straight."

Iga, as usual, had a group of no less than five women with him. The two who were closest to him practically draped themselves on his arms and torso while the others were sitting on the floor at his feet. Iga himself had a sake dish in hand and every now and then his small harem would fight over which one would pour him sake. The red-headed ladies' man was in heaven of course.

"I tell ya, I wish there were ten of me." he practically whined.

"Oh, why's that?"

"So there'd be ten times more women! HOHOHO!"

A lame joke indeed, though the women didn't care as long as Iga was around. The entire bar was in a bit of a party as Iga had a habit of buying the entire crowd rounds if he had sufficient money. All eyes were on him. Well, until a tall figure slid open the front door and walked in.

"I swear, if you hadda go into hidin', ya'd be found in a day."

Iga practically froze since he was not used to hearing that voice while in town. Standing at the entrance to the bar was Muramasa, looking cranky as always with a pipe between his teeth. He didn't have his coat or hat, so his effeminate features and slender build were apparent. Unsurprisingly, all the women in the bar now looked at him instead of Iga.

"Iga-san, you never told us you had such a good-looking friend."

"Er, well, he doesn't show up too much so there's no real reason to say anything about him."

"Hey mister, come and drink with us!"

Muramasa didn't even really give the sake jug the girl was jutting forward. He brushed it away like a second though.

"Sorry, but I don't drink that piss with little girls. 'Sides, I'm taken."

"So, anyway," Iga really wasn't liking that his partner was getting more attention than him "Ya mind telling me what made you come into town?"

"Ta get yer drunk ass, ya halfwit. Now c'mon."

Before Iga had a chance to protest, Muramasa grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and literally yanked him over the table so high that his feet didn't touch a single bottle on it. He then reached inside Iga's jacket and threw a wad of bills on the counter.

"That should more than enough. Now c'mon"

"Hey, dammit! Grah! I'll be back girls!"

Iga knew trying to fight Muramasa wasn't going to do him any good. The first (and of course last) time he did that, he ended up face first in the dirt with a lump the size of an ostrich egg on his head. He went along with it until Muramasa finally let go of his jacket when they were outside. Dusting himself off, he raised his brow at Muramasa who normally didn't go into town.

"So, I take it you were having fun the past two days."

"Damn straight. A big job deserves a little down time and I had to spend it on a worthy cause."

"Tch, buying booze for hussies and staying at their homes ain't exactly noble."

"Well you would know about the word "noble", eh?"

Muramasa rolled his eyes, still astounded by his partner's constantly playful attitude. When he wasn't on a job, life was a party that never stopped.

"So, ya mind telling him why a hermit like you finally decided to come into town."

"Get yer horse, we gotta talk."

"? O…kay."

Those were some words Iga didn't hear very often. Last time this happened, he saw something so shocking his entire view of the world was changed. Mura was just so serious when something like this happened, it was something too damn big to contain.

They rode until they reached the dirt road leading to the forest where the house was. However, Mura stopped halfway and dismounted. He walked off the road, sitting down on the side and looking toward the east whilst leaning and propping his elbows against the grass.

"Well, ya gonna sit there all day or are ya gonna join me?"

Iga followed suit, dismounting from his own horse and sitting a foot from his partner, leaning forward with his arms on his knees. He didn't really get what was going on, but he just went with it as Mura sat in silence while looking at the horizon. They sat like that for a few minutes, Mura just looking in silence at the east.

"Go about fifty kilometers from here and you'll hit the eastern seaboard." Mura began "Head north along it and you'll hit a bigass scoop out of the land called "The Great Scar"."

"Ooooookay."

"If ya head south from here, ya'll come to the Village of Rock. Far north from here is the cold tundra where the Ainu live. Still remember when I met them the first time I came from further up."

"You're getting a bit reminiscent." Iga practically smirked "You're startin' to sound like an old man. Somethin' up?"

Mura didn't bother turning his head he just kept his posture and stared into the horizon. His eyes had a far off look in them, as though he was seeing past the seemingly never-ending plains or even the blue sky flecked with clouds.

"For some reason I'm remembering everywhere I've been. Like that time I went south and heard of some psycho cult or when I went east and heard about a dragon descending from the heavens."

"Seriously Mura, what the hell is bothering you?"

Mura still didn't turn his head, he just kept looking forward. Not giving a buildup to anything, Mura just said exactly what was going on:

"Youko's pregnant."

Iga's eyes rose, looking like it was about ready to pop right out of his skull. Muramasa finally glanced at Iga, as though he was expecting that reaction.

"Y-you're gonna have a kid together?"

"Yup."

"That's great!" Iga threw his arms up, giddy as a schoolboy "I mean, I know it wasn't expected and all, but you having a kid is a great, right?"

"…Yeah."

"Then why aren't you in a good mood?"

As though annoyed at Iga, Muramasa brushed his hand through his hair and stood up.

"Dumbass, o' course I'm happy that Youko's havin' my kid, but this means I can't keep doin' this mercenary gig."

"Uh, waddya mean?"

"Do I gotta spell it out for ya?" Muramasa was looking right at Iga now "Do you think I can afford to leave her for weeks on end by herself with the kid? Not to mention this is basically works than demands I risk my ass."

"Mura, you're a friggin' god in battle. I haven't seen ya touched yet and I doubt I'm going to."

"Tch, even I can be killed Iga. I came to that edge once and it's somethin' I can't do again, especially now."

Muramasa walked down the incline, still looking to the east. His expression was sullen.

"Is it over then? Everything we've been doing together?"

"…Maybe, it's not like we can keep doing this while I have a family waitin' for me."

"What'll ya do then?"

Muramasa brought his hand to his chin, stroking thoughtfully.

"Maybe go back home. I bet they'd shit a brick when we got back, but at least I can stop worrying about Youko all day long."

The person who was most surprised at this was Iga. So filled with shock, he leapt to his feet and yelled out his response.

"What the HELL are you talking about!? I though you became a merc because you got sick of your family shovin' all that shit down your throat!"

"Well, duh dumbass, but now it looks like I'm up a creek without a goddamn paddle."

"This is bullshit! Youko was the exact same way, she got tired of people telling her to live her life they way they wanted to, not how she wanted. And…" Iga clenched his fist "And I was the same too."

Muramasa just smirked sarcastically at Iga's passion, not the least taken aback by the fact that Iga was breathing hard from yelling. Sighing, Muramasa came back to the road.

"Pride, eh? Yeah, I remember when I left because of that."

"And so did I. That's why I joined up with you, because you didn't get to live your own life until you left. And that's why this is friggin' dumb for you to go back to those snobbish aristocrats that you have to call a family."

Sick of his partner's complaints, Muramasa turned on his heel and glared. Even Iga couldn't really stand up to his own partner when his eyes had that look in them.

"Then tell just what the FUCK am I supposed to do, eh!? If I had to choose between the safety of the only people that have ever meant something to me and pride, I'll choose their safety over these goddamned pride every damn time. You got a better plan Iga?"

It wasn't exactly something Iga could answer so swiftly. Mura always made things harder than they had to be, often because of his frank, obstinate personality. Still, Iga wasn't going to let the man he thought of as his better be forced to bow to a bunch of idiots he couldn't stand.

Iga knew what that was like, he knew too well. Having been born into a samurai family, he knew what it was like living in a prison of vanity. "Do this, learn that, watch your manners, listen to your betters, plan ahead, come to this." All that crap was the only thing Iga had ever heard growing up. Day in and day out he was treated like some machine that was expected to keep up his family's image and lineage. And now Mura, who had lived in that prison, was thinking of going back? Hell no.

"I'll…I'll look after them." Iga responded firmly.

"…What?" Muramasa brow rose as though he wasn't quite sure of what he heard.

"You heard me, I said I'll look after them. I'll watch Youko and your kid while you're away."

"Iga, have you lost it?"

"Hell no, you're the one who's lost it."

Before Muramasa could object, Iga was on his knees and his head was bowed solemnly. Muramasa grit his teeth, knowing what he'd hear.

"I've never paid you back, not once. In all the time I've known you, I've still never been able to pay back that debt."

"I never said you were in debt, ya dumbass."

"I swear on everything I am I'll look after them." Iga's head rose, his gaze showing that wasn't going to back down "If this is the only way I can pay you back then I'll do it."

Muramasa sighed at Iga, his head having bowed to the ground once again. Muramasa was obstinate, but Iga was like a goddamn wall that stood in your way saying "Just try and get past me". Whenever Iga bowed his head, Muramasa knew he had lost in an argument.

The tall man promptly walked over to Iga and shoved him down the incline with his foot. Iga fell on his back onto the grass, his expression showing annoyance at Muramasa.

"If yer gonna talk about pride, don't bow yer head, dumbass." Muramasa tossed a stand of his hair over his shoulder "Stand tall and say it like ya mean it."

Iga took the advice, standing up and looking at Muramasa who towered over him. Not intimidated, Iga stood as tall as his frame would allow.

"So, you'd sell your pride to keep mine intact?" Muramasa's brow quirked.

"…Yeah, I would."

Muramasa did something rare, he laughed. Not one of his usual chuckles, but a full, hearty laugh that was very unlike him. Iga frowned, thinking Muramasa was making fun of him (though he was). Muramasa's hands clutched his sides as though to keep them from splitting.

"Goddamn, yer one grade-a moron, ya know that?" Muramasa wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.

"Not as much as you, dipshit."

Iga came level with Muramasa on the road and extended his hand. Muramasa smirked and took the hand, giving it a firm shake like he did so long ago. His hand covered Iga's with his fingers giving the redhead a serpentine grip.

"Once again, eh?"

"Yeah, this is a promise, Mura."


	5. 4

4: Beginning of Twilight

Another year went by for Muramasa, though he was spending more time at home and for good reason. Whenever he went off to do a job, he always found that he was busting his ass more which was obviously because of Iga being back at home with Youko. Nowadays Muramasa seemed like more of a busybody then he had been since he met the redheaded man. He didn't quite know what to think of it, except now his sharpness with fighting had been coming back, if only because he was pulling all the weight of his job.

Right now he had just finished one job. It wasn't exactly anything of consequence and he'd be damned if it made him sweat, but was more interesting was the ride home.

"Thanks sir, come again."

"No problem, old-timer."

Muramasa had been getting a bit more social with the townspeople as of late. After his little escapade in the bar he'd been getting a lot more noticeable in the bar for being the guy who had the spine to tell Iga what to do. Plus he had to go into town more often to get groceries ever since Youko had gotten pregnant.

Putting a bag of rice over the back of his horse, Muramasa got onto the stirrups and tipped his hat to the store owner (and inadvertently to a young woman who looked like she had stars for eyes) before tugging the reins and being on his way. Curiously, Muramasa actually headed down the southern road, which was not in the direction of his home.

Muramasa kept riding down the dirt path, the town having long since become a mere blob in the distance. Coming to a crossroads, Muramasa stopped.

"Alright, I guess that's enough." he turned his head "Oi, are you two gonna get'cher asses out here or do I gotta drag the both o' ya out?"

Muramasa was no fool and trying to trail him wasn't easy. Hearing a faint sigh, the silver-haired man saw two green-clad figures jump from the shadows and into the middle of the road. He sized them up, taking their most noticeable as a bandage across one's face while the other had his hair covering one eye. Muramasa knew they were both Leaf nin judging by their headbands. Great, the village he liked the least of all.

"Tch, great, forest boys." he mumbled as he dismounted his horse.

"A pleasure to meet you, Hodaishi-san, I am Hagane Kotetsu and this is my partner Kamizuki Izumo." The one with the bandage was kneeling and speaking in a respectful manner that made Muramasa roll his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, ya mind cuttin' to the chase and tellin' me why exactly you bastards were stalking me?"

"Sorry, but we didn't really know how to approach someone who's known amongst shinobi as a sort of natural disaster."

"Pfft, next time just approach me face ta face."

Kotetsu frowned at the man's way of speech. He was well aware of Muramasa's dislike of shinobi, so it didn't come as a surprise that he was growing increasingly irritated with Kotetsu and Izumo. Kotetsu brought himself to his full height, though that obviously paled in comparison to Muramasa.

"Our Hokage has brought you a job offer."

"Oh?" Muramasa's brow rose "Been awhile since I heard words like that. I thought you bastards were gonna try an' gut me in my sleep er somethin'."

"Trust us, we wouldn't throw away our lives that willingly."

"Alright then, so whaddya want?" even Muramasa, gruff and surly as he was, wouldn't so quickly turn away a potential employer.

Kotetsu took out a folder from inside his vest and handed it to Muramasa.

"Well, I suppose you would want to discuss it with your partner first."

"And whyzzat?"

"Well, we are hiring the both of you so I would believe you would want to talk to him about it."

To Kotetsu's surprise, the folder had just been slung back at him and Muramasa was getting back on his horse. The tall man adjusted his hat and looked at the ninja.

"Sorry, buddy, but either ya make make due with one of us or get someone else."

"What the hell do you mean? I thought you and Akazume were a pair."

"Look, we happen to be workin' solo right now, alright?"

"Listen here you dog!" Kotetsu's friend Izumo seemed to have snapped "This was an offer from the Hokage herself. Don't you dare cast it aside so friggin' quickly!"

The word "dog" never sat well with Muramasa. Izumo was quickly regretting his outburst as Muramasa gave him a glare that would send demons running back to Hell

"Dog? Did I just hear you call me a fuckin' dog?" eyes like a pair of silver daggers glared at Izumo, boring right into him.

"Y-yeah, so what?"

"Buddy, you best be glad I wasn't in too shitty of a mood today, otherwise I'd be havin' yer guts plastered on the roadside now."

"Please, we're well aware of your reputation so neither of us wants to get into a fight." Kotetsu stepped between the two.

Muramasa just spat at the thought of the ninja and snapped the reins in his hands, making his horse do an about-face. The horse strode by the two of them with Muramasa not even giving them the slightest of glances. He did, however, say to them over his shoulder:

"If your precious Hokage wants us so damn badly, tell her to get 'er ass over here herself. I don't like dealin' with grunts."

The silver-clad man kept riding on his horse, obviously telling the two ninjas that they'd better do as he said. Izumo was breathing heavily, not being used to the level of glare that Muramasa had shown him.

"Jeez, why did you have to snap like that?" Kotetsu scratched his head nervously.

"Sorry, but I can't stand the thought of having to hire some merc. Did Hokage-sama really think it'd be that necessary? I mean, there are other mercs on the same level of fame as Akazume and Hodaishi."

"I dunno what Hokage-sama is thinking. But whatever the case, we need to tell her what happened."

XXXXX

Muramasa was in a foul mood after dealing with those two. It got him so pissed off he was sucking down bowls of tobacco like water. He did not like dealing with the ninja villages, especially Konohagakure. Last thing he needed was to have a bunch of people he know didn't like him be his bosses.

Coming to the forest, Muramasa sucked whatever was left in his pipe in one long pull. A literal cloud of smoke poured from his mouth and practically covered his head. He would have enjoyed himself more, but he couldn't exactly smoke in the house anymore.

Iga was outside the house with his jacket off, so all that was covering his torso was his black tank top. Rarely for him, he was actually practicing for once. Guess being around the house all day made one bored quickly.

"Been awhile since I saw ya do that." Muramasa gave a curt snap of his wrist.

"Well, it's either do this or play my shamisen and I can't exactly play a shamisen when a string is broken."

Muramasa dismounted from his horse and tossed the bag of rice to Iga who caught it with no trouble. Judging by his cut figure, Iga was no weakling.

"So, Youko been okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine." Iga through the bag onto his shoulder "I swear though, your son's gotta pair o' lungs on him. I think I can actually hear him across the forest."

"Is that so?"

Iga sort of jolted at hearing Youko's voice. The black-haired woman was in her usual kimono, leaning against one of the supports to the house. In her arms was a bundle that she cradled delicately to her breast. Iga merely dismissed himself as Youko turned to Muramasa.

"Welcome home."

"I trust Ame's been well?"

"Too well if you ask me. He's obviously gotten your endless energy."

Ame, it was short for Amenonuhoko. That was the name of their son. Youko sat on the walkway with Muramasa joining her. The small infant was a pudgy thing, his cheeks plump and red. His silver eyes and the vibrant tuft of platinum hair obviously meant he took after his father. Youko watched the boy contently nursing from her.

"Fella's got an appetite, don't he?"

"Quite, though it seems he's more energetic than most, perhaps a bit too much. He obviously doesn't take after me a lot."

"Guess sleepin' all day doesn't suit 'im, unlike you."

Youko frowned at Muramasa's remark. She merely gave him a flick of her finger to his ear, though he hardly noticed it. Ame was still feeding, oblivious to his parents' light arguing.

Muramasa looked at the small boy who had just finished. He never quite expected he'd be doing something like this. Then again, back in those days he never expected he'd meet someone like Youko. To say the least, the last year had been…different.

Muramasa still remembered when he arrived after Ame was born back in winter. Apparently Iga had been a nervous wreck the entire time and said if he never had to be within ten miles of another birthing he'd die a happy man. Youko had said he refused to even be in the same room as Ame, going on about how the first man a child should see has to be their father. Muramasa, of course, had laughed his ass off when Youko told him that.

Youko wiped Ame's mouth with a cloth, the infant full now. Youko nuzzled her nose against his, grinning with maternal content.

"Well, now that's a picture for the album."

Muramasa glanced at Iga who was smirking in his usual manner. Muramasa leaned back.

"We got some stuff that seems a bit big." he stated bluntly.

"Great, bet this'll be a bed of roses."

XXXXX

Almost two weeks had passed since the two Leaf-nin had failed to make a proper contract with Muramasa. Though disgruntled, they reported back to the Hokage. She was displeased, though not very surprised. Kotetsu and Izumo had attempted to convince her that the services of a mercenary were not needed, especially ones as infamous as Hodaishi Muramasa and Akazume Iga. All that the Hokage had to say was that they, as the seekers, had no rights to demand anything of the people they were seeking to employ. She just put on her traveling clothes and dreaded the amount of paperwork that was going to be piled up on her desk when she came back.

The trek to the village hadn't been a bad one, though Tsunade was wishing she had a carriage as the blisters on her feet were going to be murder on her. Adjusting the bamboo hat on her head, she scanned the street looking for any sign of a man with silver or red hair. To her disappointment, nothing that ostentatious stood out.

"Dammit, I've been living too comfortably for the past few years."

"I know, my feet are killing me."

Tsunade looked to the black-haired woman next to her. Shizune was all she needed as a companion. Kotetsu and Izumo were back in the village since she knew those two wouldn't help things with the two mercs she was hoping to employ. She sighed; maybe she shouldn't have taken that brat Kakashi's advice about hiring those two mercs.

"I need some sake."

"It's the middle of the afternoon."

"Shizune, I've been walking for days. I NEED SAKE."

Shizune knew it was best not to get in between Tsunade and drinking. The heavy-bosomed woman practically smelled a bar, seeing one not ten meters from where she was standing. Like the wind she dashed through the doors.

However, she wasn't expecting her target to be so close. Tsunade's jaw dropped. In the back of the bar, surrounded by four women, was a redheaded rogue who was having some sort of small party at his seat. She knew from the description that it was Akazume Iga. Red hair, eye patch, cocky grin, there was no mistaking him for anyone else. However, she suddenly had second thoughts, seeing as the wild merc was drinking like a fish.

Analogous to a bandage being ripped off, Tsunade approached the man and his cadre. Iga, being a womanizer, instantly knew when someone feminine was approaching. He greeted her with a grin, obviously flaunting his well-kept teeth.

"Well, well, not everyday a specimen such as you rolls in."

"I take it you're Akazume Iga."

"Yes I am, my dear lady." He offered one of the bottles on the table "Care to join us?"

"Hardly, I'm here because a certain friend of yours demanded I come in person if I wished to hire you."

Iga smirked again, setting the bottle back down on the table and standing up. He reached into his coat pocket.

"Sorry, ladies, but looks like business calls." He threw a wad of bills on the table before waving in an almost apologetic manner.

Needless to say, his women blew him kisses as he walked out the door with Tsunade, his eye roaming her figure from top to bottom.

"Well, I thought that the Hokage was some old hag. Didn't expect a specimen as…voluptuous as yourself."

"Your info wasn't wrong. I'm actually old enough to be your mother."

"Damn." Iga's eyebrows rose high "If I look half as good as you when I'm you're age, I'll be one happy bastard."

Tsunade grinned at Iga. He was rough around the edges, but he definitely had his own sort of charm. Shizune tilted her head at the merc, not quite sure what to make of him.

"I imagined…you'd be taller."

"Trust me, you'll get enough of that when ya see Mura. But, let's not talk about me and instead you."

Iga, of course, was practically in Shizune's face. He was so close she could tell how many hairs made up his eyebrows.

"Mind tellin' me just when you came down from heaven?"

"Errrrr…."

"Harrumph."

Tsunade tapped her foot at Iga's antics, making him cease. Despite that, Iga gave Shizune a look that said "we'll continue this later". Turning on his heel, he faced Tsunade.

"Well, do you mind telling me where your partner is?"

"Back at the house I'm afraid, which reminds me…" Iga dug into his back pocket and took out a black colored cloth "You're gonna have to wear this."

"_What?_"

"Mura isn't exactly the most trusting sorta guy. He says I have to escort you blindfolded if we're gonna have a meeting."

"That's absurd!" Iga looked over his shoulder at Shizune who was bit pissed "That guy demands that Tsunade do something so injuring?!"

"Hey, it's his business. Besides, last time I checked it was YOU that was asking US, not the other way around."

Tsunade sighed, taking the blindfold and tying it around her head.

"Tsunade!"

"Look, Shizune, the fact of the matter is I need both of these guys. Last thing we need is another incident as bad as last time. Just wait at the inn until I come back."

Shizune, despite fuming madly gave in to her friend's request. Iga politely took Tsunade's hand, leading her to his horse.

XXXXX

Muramasa sat on the walkway of his house. Youko was inside, giving Ame a bath. Taking his pipe between his fingers, Muramasa shot a line of smoke from his lips. He had been in a week-long foul mood since he had those two ninja idiots come along expecting him to be jovial. If there was one thing that annoyed him (though he in fact had a long list of things that annoyed him) it was dealing with grunts. If the damn Kage thought it was so damn important then they'd best come down in person. Although, considering his reputation, Muramasa wasn't expecting much.

"I don't have the sort of time for this b.s." he took another pull from his pipe.

"Acting the old man, eh, Mura?"

Muramasa glanced at Iga, expecting him to be back alone and smelling of sake like he had been the past few days. However, Muramasa immediately took note of the blindfolded blond woman riding with him on his horse. Taking another pull from his pipe, Muramasa sighed when he breathed outward.

"Tch, I thought I toldja not ta be bringin' any broads here."

"C'mon, I brought her here because ya told me to."

"…Oh, just friggin' great."

Honestly Muramasa hadn't been expecting the Hokage to come. Most of the time if grunts came, that was all he got. Guess the villages actually got someone worth something for a change.

Iga helped Tsunade down and even undid her blindfold. Blinking her eyes, her attention went to Muramasa who was practically glaring at her. Tsunade tilted her head, sizing up the mercenary.

"What?" Muramasa's brow rose.

"You're…taller than I expected." Indeed, he towered over Tsunade by a foot. She actually had to strain her neck a bit to look him in the eye.

Muramasa sat on the walkway, his long legs stretching outward as Tsunade sat in proper fashion in front of him. She bowed her head.

"I am Tsunade, Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure; a pleasure to meet you, Muramasa-san."

"…I don't recall tellin' you to call me by my given name, but whatever. Plus I find it hard to believe that a ninja is pleased ta meet a guy like me."

Tsunade frowned at Muramasa; there shouldn't have been any way that someone as pretty as him would be this gruff.

"Well, Muramasa," Tsunade continued "I find it hard to believe a mercenary would refuse a job."

"Ya asked fer both for us, and at this point that ain't happenin'."

"That's another thing; I thought you and your red-haired friend here were supposed to be partners. Since when have you two worked separately?"

"Well, isn't this a lovely afternoon?"

Tsunade didn't quite get what she had heard for a moment. She had to look in the direction of the new voice to see an elegant, black-haired woman standing in an open door, a bundle in her arms. Tsunade blinked three times, not quite sure what to make of this woman.

"Who is…?"

Muramasa just looked dully and gestured to the now-sitting woman at his side. "My wife, Youko. And that's our son, Ame."

Tsunade blinked again, this time shaking her head as well. Muramasa smirked at her reaction, amused.

"What, sellswords can't have families?" His smirk was almost mocking her "Is that honestly what you thought of me?"

"_This_ is why you refused that offer?" Tsunade was over her shock now "You had a wife this entire time and no one knew about it?"

"Well I'm not exactly out of the house much." Youko pulled a strand of hair away from Ame who was attempting to grab it "I suppose you thought Muramasa here was just another heartless, gold-digging excuse for a man."

Tsunade wasn't quite able to grasp it. She looked to Iga, who had surprisingly been silent the entire time.

"What about you?"

"…Don't think we're so different from ninjas. It's not like I'm doing this for money or anything."

So, it seemed Muramasa wasn't what Tsunade expected. She ruffled her hair, seeing that convincing these two wasn't going to be easy. She stared into Muramasa's silver orbs.

"Well, I must say I never did think you'd have a family, but don't think I'm letting you go."

"Tch, persistent, ain'tcha? Just what exactly is so important that you hafta hire a coupla mercs instead o' havin' yer own guys handle it?"

"…Is it true that both you and Iga here can make a ninja completely helpless? I heard that jutsu can't touch either of you."

Iga and Muramasa looked at each other, conveying thoughts that needn't require words. Muramasa's eyes darted to Tsunade.

"Well, not too bad, but yeah, what you heard was true. I ain't exactly keen on sayin' what we do though."

"That's fine, I was just hoping the rumors were real."

"Sounds like you guys've got a problem-child or somethin'."

"Sort of."

Digging into the inner pocket of her jacket, Tsunade drew out a picture. She handed it to Muramasa. On the photograph was a teenaged girl with extremely unique features. Her hair was a strange emerald shade with white streaks in it. However, her eyes are what stood out the most, those golden, reptilian eyes. Muramasa's eyebrow rose.

"The heck…is this babysittin'?"

"Yes, you and Iga are in fact going to be this girl's teammates. Her name is Hokuto, Tatsumaki Hokuto."

Muramasa froze and his neck slowly craned up until he met Tsunade's eyes. Iga also looked surprised and even Youko had expression on her face that conveyed some level of interest. Muramasa finally responded:

"Woman, what did you just say?"


End file.
